Several years ago when I heard the word “wiki” my curiosity was piqued. I was looking for a new way to communicate with my students as well as a new way for them to connect with me. After some investigation looking at the advantages of blogging and wikis, I decided to set up a wikispace using the following link http://www.wikispaces.com/site/for/teachers.
Although the directions were clear and the journey seemed easy, I still needed help from my more tech savvy colleagues before I could launch out into cyberspace. After some initial challenges with getting passwords for my students, we were off!
There are different blogging publishers such as blogspot.com, wordpress.com, 21classes.com so you might want to check them out. When using a blog, however, while a student can comment on the initial response some publishers will not allow the student to comment on other reactions. In a wiki, it is possible for a student to comment on the initial statement or question as well as respond to other students’ thoughts. This provides a more dynamic environment.
I have found that though I originally thought it would take more time to read homework responses, that is not necessarily the case. All the responses are in one place and I do not have to deal with a lot of paper. I can have the students use handouts now on the wikispace and do not have to be concerned if someone is absent as they can check out what they need to do right from home. If I can do it, anyone can!
Blogs
Blogs have proved to be very useful learning platforms for my English classes. What I like most about blogs is that it organizes my classes and hopefully the students will benefit from the organization as well. Blog are a terrific way to communicate with students. Basic information such as homework assignments, in class lessons, handouts, calendars, links, videos, and images call all be posted on blogs quickly and easily. Specifically with posting homework assignments, we all know how assignments can change rather quickly depending on what is covered in class, so blogs give me the opportunity to quickly edit homework assignments and to deliver the updated information immediately to my students without needing to reprint assignment sheets.
Furthermore, blogging is an excellent way for students to practice their online communication skills. Blogging creates a social network for students and teachers to interact. These networks can be created within a classroom, school, school district, nation, or world. The teacher is in control of how far the network will reach. The fact that students can network with other students or experts on the topic through blogging is an excellent method for developing 21st century skills and for students to reach out throughout the world to share knowledge on a topic.
In order to make this happen, it does take time. Teachers need to commit the time to research other blog sites pertaining to the topics to establish the network that will help their students. Once the network is established, students will continue to reach out in order to learn more. It is important for teachers to make their expectations and assessments very clear and to share with students detailed guidelines as to what the purpose, goals, and procedures will be while blogging. It is important to practice proper usage and ethical behavior while blogging.
Blogging can certainly enhance learning if done properly.
A VoiceThread is an online media album that allows a group of people to make comments on images, videos, and documents, really simply. You can participate 5 different ways - using your voice (with a microphone or telephone), text, audio file, or video (with a webcam). It's easy to control who can access and comment on a VoiceThread, which makes it a secure place to talk about almost anything: business and academic presentations, travelogues, family history, art critiques, language study, tutorials, book clubs and digital storytelling. A VoiceThread allows an entire group conversation to be collected from anywhere in the world and then shared in one simple place.
You can create a rich slideshow in seconds to engage your friends or family in a natural way. This is done by allowing two-way commenting right at each photo in the show and automatically pausing so you have time to express yourself before continuing.
Photo Peach also supports zooming comments, sound-effect smilies, and music so you can elaborate on your story further.
You have heard again and again: “A picture is worth a thousand words”, but what if you could add a thousand words to your photos, and some music? The whole slideshow is greater than the sum of the photos, words, and music.
This is an excellent tool for students to use to demonstrate basic understanding of a concept. It is perfect for a short report or annotating a series of pictures that illustrate a process (ex. Water Cycle).
I first heard about NINGs at the beginning of the school year in a faculty meeting where we learned our faculty and administration would be expected to join a new school-networking site. Social networking is not completely foreign to me and I liked the idea because it presented a means to communicate at any moment with one or a group of people.
The NING offers the opportunity to set up a profile that you can make as simple or as detailed as you want it to be. You can share family photos, your thoughts, and ideas. You can read other groups' activities and see what issues people are discussing.
I decided to use it for my class because it is straightforward and easy to use. I figured we could get a little more personal by putting in photos and writing a little about our interests and ourselves. It is also suitable to use in class or at home.
For the first assignment, each student composed a poem accompanied by an image to tell about where they are from. I asked the students to read and comment on all of their peers' poems.
The students' next assignment was to write about what role art plays in their life. We shared those as well.
I have posted several links that I came across to the NING page. As a class, we will look at those together.
I have only scratched the surface with what I have done this year. The students may be a little apprehensive about their work being so public, but they overcome this and I think the students are more invested in their assignments knowing that their peers will be reading and/or looking at them too. I can see many more activities to incorporate into this class NING and am excited to try them next year.
Wyoming Seminary: Final Project Notes
Wikis
Resources:
To see a sample wikispace as a work in progress go to the link below:
http://band-of-brothers.wikispaces.com/
To find out how to set up your very own wikispace go to the link below:
http://www.wikispaces.com/site/for/teachers
The Wiki Adventure
Several years ago when I heard the word “wiki” my curiosity was piqued. I was looking for a new way to communicate with my students as well as a new way for them to connect with me. After some investigation looking at the advantages of blogging and wikis, I decided to set up a wikispace using the following link http://www.wikispaces.com/site/for/teachers.
Although the directions were clear and the journey seemed easy, I still needed help from my more tech savvy colleagues before I could launch out into cyberspace. After some initial challenges with getting passwords for my students, we were off!
There are different blogging publishers such as blogspot.com, wordpress.com, 21classes.com so you might want to check them out. When using a blog, however, while a student can comment on the initial response some publishers will not allow the student to comment on other reactions. In a wiki, it is possible for a student to comment on the initial statement or question as well as respond to other students’ thoughts. This provides a more dynamic environment.
I have found that though I originally thought it would take more time to read homework responses, that is not necessarily the case. All the responses are in one place and I do not have to deal with a lot of paper. I can have the students use handouts now on the wikispace and do not have to be concerned if someone is absent as they can check out what they need to do right from home. If I can do it, anyone can!
Blogs
Blogs have proved to be very useful learning platforms for my English classes. What I like most about blogs is that it organizes my classes and hopefully the students will benefit from the organization as well. Blog are a terrific way to communicate with students. Basic information such as homework assignments, in class lessons, handouts, calendars, links, videos, and images call all be posted on blogs quickly and easily. Specifically with posting homework assignments, we all know how assignments can change rather quickly depending on what is covered in class, so blogs give me the opportunity to quickly edit homework assignments and to deliver the updated information immediately to my students without needing to reprint assignment sheets.
Furthermore, blogging is an excellent way for students to practice their online communication skills. Blogging creates a social network for students and teachers to interact. These networks can be created within a classroom, school, school district, nation, or world. The teacher is in control of how far the network will reach. The fact that students can network with other students or experts on the topic through blogging is an excellent method for developing 21st century skills and for students to reach out throughout the world to share knowledge on a topic.
In order to make this happen, it does take time. Teachers need to commit the time to research other blog sites pertaining to the topics to establish the network that will help their students. Once the network is established, students will continue to reach out in order to learn more. It is important for teachers to make their expectations and assessments very clear and to share with students detailed guidelines as to what the purpose, goals, and procedures will be while blogging. It is important to practice proper usage and ethical behavior while blogging.
Blogging can certainly enhance learning if done properly.
Resources
www.wordpress.comhttp://www.21classes.com/
Voice Thread
A VoiceThread is an online media album that allows a group of people to make comments on images, videos, and documents, really simply. You can participate 5 different ways - using your voice (with a microphone or telephone), text, audio file, or video (with a webcam). It's easy to control who can access and comment on a VoiceThread, which makes it a secure place to talk about almost anything: business and academic presentations, travelogues, family history, art critiques, language study, tutorials, book clubs and digital storytelling. A VoiceThread allows an entire group conversation to be collected from anywhere in the world and then shared in one simple place.
www.voicethread.com
Photo Peach
About Photo Peach
Photo Peach Demo
You can create a rich slideshow in seconds to engage your friends or family in a natural way. This is done by allowing two-way commenting right at each photo in the show and automatically pausing so you have time to express yourself before continuing.
Photo Peach also supports zooming comments, sound-effect smilies, and music so you can elaborate on your story further.
You have heard again and again: “A picture is worth a thousand words”, but what if you could add a thousand words to your photos, and some music? The whole slideshow is greater than the sum of the photos, words, and music.
This is an excellent tool for students to use to demonstrate basic understanding of a concept. It is perfect for a short report or annotating a series of pictures that illustrate a process (ex. Water Cycle).
Ning Sites
The NING Adventure
www.ning.com
I first heard about NINGs at the beginning of the school year in a faculty meeting where we learned our faculty and administration would be expected to join a new school-networking site. Social networking is not completely foreign to me and I liked the idea because it presented a means to communicate at any moment with one or a group of people.
The NING offers the opportunity to set up a profile that you can make as simple or as detailed as you want it to be. You can share family photos, your thoughts, and ideas. You can read other groups' activities and see what issues people are discussing.
I decided to use it for my class because it is straightforward and easy to use. I figured we could get a little more personal by putting in photos and writing a little about our interests and ourselves. It is also suitable to use in class or at home.
For the first assignment, each student composed a poem accompanied by an image to tell about where they are from. I asked the students to read and comment on all of their peers' poems.
The students' next assignment was to write about what role art plays in their life. We shared those as well.
I have posted several links that I came across to the NING page. As a class, we will look at those together.
I have only scratched the surface with what I have done this year. The students may be a little apprehensive about their work being so public, but they overcome this and I think the students are more invested in their assignments knowing that their peers will be reading and/or looking at them too. I can see many more activities to incorporate into this class NING and am excited to try them next year.
Voki
www.voki.com
Jing
For information on Jing, you can look at the Jing website below, or you can read about Jing on Wikipedia (Jing Software).
http://www.jingproject.com/
http://fms.wyomingseminary.org/PS_intro.swf
Our Power Point Presentation: